New Zealand draws new interest with 'Hobbit'

MATAMATA, New Zealand – Ian Alexander remembers the day well. He was watching a rugby match on TV when a knock came at the door. He opened it to find a location scout seeking permission to film scenes fromLord of the Rings on his sprawling sheep farm.

"I said, 'Lord of the what? I'm just a bloody old broken-down farmer with a few sheep running around,' " Alexander recalls.